Apparatus for alternately transferring groups of cigarettes to a rotary magazine via intermediate reciprocating chambers

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for transferring groups of cigarettes from a pair of adjacent feed hoppers to compartments around the periphery of a revolving magazine via an intermediate, reciprocating, two pocket compressing member. The latter is always having one pocket loaded from one of the hoppers by push fingers at the same time the other, previously loaded pocket is being unloaded into a magazine compartment by a push rod plate. The walls of the pocket may be moved inwardly to pack the cigarettes tightly during transfer.

United States Patent 1191 Focke 5] Mar. 4, 1975 541 APPARATUS FOR ALTERNATELY 3,392,815 7/1968 8103515 198/33 AA TRANSFERRING GROUPS OF CIGARETTES 3,403,493 10/1968 Focke 53/151 TO A ROTARY MAGAZINE VIA FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS INTERMEDIATE RECIPROCATING 881,068 2/1900 Great Britain .1 198/24 CHAMBERS 1,229,443 11/1966 Germany .1 198/20 C [76] Inventor: Heinz Hermann Focke, Siemensstr.

v Germany Primary liruminer-Evon C. Blunk Assistant E.\'um1'/1erJeffrey V. Nase [22] F'led: 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firn1Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion. 21 Appl. 190.; 326,702 Zmn & Macpeak [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Jan 29, 1972 Germany 2204268 An apparatus for transferring grouPS 0f Cigarettes from a pair of adjacent feed hoppers to compartments 52 us. c1 198/24, 53/151, 198/20 c around the Periphery of a revolving magazine via 198/59 intermediate, reciprocating, two pocket compressing [51] Int. Cl. Bg 47/04 member- The latter is always having one Pocket [58] Field of Search H 198/24, 33 AA, 20 C, loaded from one of the hoppers by push fingers at the 53/148, 131/25 same time the other, previously loaded pocket is being unloaded into a magazine compartment by a push rod [56] References Cited plate. The walls of the pocket may be moved inwardly UNITED STATES PATENTS to pack the cigarettes tightly during transfer.

2,551,199 5/1951 Basus .1 53 151 7 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures ,u ,u k 1 211E 11 1 1 iii 1 2 4 1 1 111 1 11, 1 1111 111 1 T'-i7 1 E I; iZ/fi/ *1/ 1 I0 I '1 l 1 l l 1 APPARATUS FOR ALTERNATELY TRANSFERRING GROUPS OF CIGARETTES TO A ROTARY MAGAZINE VIA INTERMEDIATE RECIPROCATING CHAMBERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for supplying groups of cigarettes to a cigarette packing machine. The groups of cigarettes are pushed, by at least two reciprocating slide members, into the compartments of a reciprocating receptacle, from which they are pushed into the packing machine or the like.

The object of the invention is to transfer cigarettes from the so-called magazine to a cigarette packing machine. More particularly, the invention is intended for use with cigarette packing machines in which a revolving part containing pockets for receiving one group of cigarettes per pocket, is connected at the outlet side of the cigarette magazine.

2. Prior Art In the known devices of this type, the groups of cigarettes are pushed directly from the magazine into the pockets of the revolving part. The device operates with a reciprocating slide member, which enters the magazine. As a result, the device is not capable of high production as the cigarettes in the magazine move very slowly into the discharge position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to render more efficient the formation and discharge of groups of cigarettes from a magazine to a part of a cigarette packing machine, more particularly, to a revolving part provided with pockets or compartments.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by providing a push rod driven in synchronism with two slide members but in double time. The push rod is designed to push out the groups of cigarettes introduced by the slide members into the compartments of the reciprocating receptacle. The push rod pushes the cigarettes from one compartment while the other compartment is being filled.

The reciprocating receptacle enables the formed groups of cigarettes to be pushed much more rapidly into the pockets of the subsequent rotating part.

According to another feature of the invention, the cigarettes received by the reciprocating receptacle are pressed together in the compartments of the receptacle. This embodiment of the invention is particularly useful if the successive devices on the cigarette machine are not provided with means for pressing together the group of cigarettes.

Other features of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiment represented in the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the lower part of a magazine according to I-I of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is the device according to the invention, or a diagrammatic outline of a section thereof,

FIG. 3 shows a detailed front view of the reciprocating receptacle of the device according to the invention,

FIG. 4 is a detailed front view of the reciprocating receptacle according to the invention showing the pressing compartments in an open position,

FIG. 5 is a detailed view according to FIG. 4, with the compartments of the reciprocating receptacle in a pressing position,

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic front view of the entire device, including the magazine with a reciprocating receptacle provided with compartments,

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of the device according to FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the device according to FIGS. 6 and 7,

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic side view of another embodiment of the reciprocating receptacle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention relates to the transferral of cigarettes 10, in the form of groups of cigarettes 12, from a magazine 11 to a cigarette packing machine, more particularly to a revolving part 13 provided with compartments or pockets 14 for receiving the group of cigarettes 12. The magazine 11 is provided on its base with two outlets l5 and 16 for discharging the cigarettes 10. The outlets 15 and 16 consist ofa plurality of shafts 18, separated by shaft walls 17. A row of cigarettes 10, disposed on top of each other, is kept ready in each shaft 18.

The groups of cigarettes 12 are removed at the lower end of the outlets 15 and 16 by the slide members 19 and 20. The slide members 19 and 20 introduce the fingers 21 into the individual shafts 18 of the outlets l5 and 16 and push out a group, consisting, for example, of two cigarettes 10 arranged one above the other. The slide members 19 and 20 are driven in a reciprocating manner.

The groups of cigarettes 12, composed and removed by the slide members 19 and 20, are pushed into a reciprocating receptacle 22, or alternatively into compartment 23 or 24 of this reciprocating receptacle 22. The reciprocating receptacle 22 may be moved in a reciprocating manner in the direction of the arrow 25 in front of the outlets 15 and 16 of the magazine 11 or in front of the orifices 26 and 27. The end position of the reciprocating receptacle 22 is such that one of the compartments 23 or 24 is always in front of either outlet 15 or 16. It is thus always possible to insert a group of cigarettes 12 in these end positions.

The cigarette groups 12 are removed from the reciprocating receptacle 22 by a push rod 28. The reciprocating push rod 28 is arranged between the two slide members 19 and 20. The relative position of the compartments 23 and 24 of the reciprocating receptacle 22 is such that, in the end positions, one or other of the filled compartments 23 and 24, is always in the plane of motion of the push rod 28. In the embodiment shown, the groups of cigarettes 12 are pushed by the push rod 28 directly into the pocket 14 of the revolving part 13.

The push rod 28 is operated in synchronism with the movements of the reciprocating receptacle 22 and the slide members 19 and 20 to empty the filled compartment 23 or 24. The push rod 28 is thus driven at double the speed of each of the slide members 19 and 20.

The construction of the reciprocating receptacle 22 may be such that the groups of cigarettes 12 introduced into the compartments 23 and 24 of the receptacle 22, are pressed together. This is advantageous for the remaining part of the packing process. FIGS. 4 and 5 show an embodiment of this reciprocating receptacle 22. The receptacle 22 shown in the embodiment consists of two parts, an upper holder 29, and a lower holder 30. The two holders together form the bottom walls 31 and the upper walls 32 of compartments 23 and 24. Two side walls 33 and 34, laterally limiting the compartments, are integral with the holders 29 and 30. The holders 29 and 30, and thus the walls 31. .34, are adapted to move relative to each other. Accordingly, in the embodiment shown, both the height and the width of the compartments 23 and 24 may be increased or reduced. For'this reason, the free ends of the side walls 33 and 34 are supported on the inclined surface 35 of the opposite holder 29 or 30. Displacement of the holders 29 and 30 relative to each other in a transverse direction also results in a displacement in height.

In the embodiment represented (see also FIGS. 6 8), the holders 29 and 30 are supported and driven by swivellable guides 36 and 37 or 38. The guide 37 merely serves as a support, while the guides 36 and 38 transmit a reciprocating drive to the holders 29 and 30, which produces a relative movement of the two holders 29 and 30, thus broadening and narrowing the compartments, together with a simultaneous transverse movement in the direction of the arrow 25. The two holders are connected together by means of parallelogram guides 39 and 40.

FIG. 4 shows the open position of compartments 23- and 24, and FIG. 5 the pressing position of the same.

FIGS. 6 8 provide a detailed view of a drive mechanism for a device provided with a reciprocating receptacle according to FIGS. 4 and 5. In this case, the slide members 19 and 20, the push rod 28, and the reciprocating receptacle 22, are driven by a common shaft 41. A gear wheel 42 is supported on this shaft. The gear wheel 42 meshes with a (smaller) gear wheel 43. The gear wheel 43 drives a crank 44, which has connected thereto, a swivel arm 45 for transmitting a reciprocating drive to the push rod 28. To this end, the-push rod 28 is provided with a rearwardly directed projection 46, on which the swivel arm 45 catches.

The two slide members 19 and 20 are also driven by the main shaft 41 via a crank assembly. Crank arms 47, which act on a swivel arm 48, are connected to each end of the main shaft 41. The movement of the crank arms is transmitted via a shaft end 49 to a guide 50 connected to the slide member 19 or 20. The guide 50 is connected via an oblong hole guide 51 to a sliding carriage 52 supporting the slide member 19 or 20.

The drive for the reciprocating receptacle 22 and/or for its holders 29 and 30, is provided by cup-shaped earns 53, arranged at the end of the main shaft 41. The guides 36 and 38 connected to the holders 29 and 30, are provided with tread rollers 54, which move in a groove 55 of the cup-shaped cam 53. When the two cup-shapedv cams 53 rotate (as a result of the rotation of the main shaft 41), the guides 36 and 38 are driven in a reciprocating movement, which causes the receptacle 22 to move in a reciprocating manner. The design of the cup-shaped cams and/or their grooves 55 is such that, when the receptacle 22 moves in a reciprocating manner, the holders 29 and 30 move relative to each other, and as a result the cigarettes are squeezed together in the compartments 23 and 24.

The constructional form of the above-mentioned drive means for the receptacle 22, producing a controlled movement of the holders 29 and 30 relative to each other, merely represents a preferred embodiment. The movements may also be controlled in other ways, for example, by guiding a holder by means of a guide pulley in a control pattern or slot.

FIG. 9 shows another, much simplified embodiment of a receptacle 22 comprising compartments 23 and 24 pressing together the groups of cigarettes 12. The compartments 23 and 24 are provided with a movable side wall 56, which is acted on during the cross movement of the receptacle 22. In the embodiment shown, the side wall 56 is disposed on a piston pin 57, which may be displaced from without against the pressure of a pressure spring 58. The piston pin 57 and thus the side wall 56 is acted on by a stop 59, which effects a reciprocating cross movement with the receptacle. This movement of the stops 59 is controlled in such a manner that the piston pin 57 is acted on during the movement of the receptacle, i.e., between the end positions. The side walls 56 are not acted on by the stops 59 in the end positions, so that the groups of cigarettes 12 can be pushed in and out without pressure.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for supplying groups of cigarettes to a cigarette packing machine, comprising:

a. a pair of adjacent cigarette feed hoppers having spaced discharge ends,

b. an intermediate receptacle having two adjacent chambers open at both ends in an axial direction, said receptacle being reciprocable back and forth across the discharge ends of the feed hoppers,

c. a rotary magazine positioned adjacent the intermediate receptacle and having a plurality of pockets around the periphery thereof open in an axial direction,

d. the relative positioning between the discharge ends of the feed hoppers, the intermediate receptacle and the rotary magazine being such that at each end of the reciprocating travel of the intermediate receptacle one of its chambers is aligned with the discharge end of a feed hopper in receiving relation thereto while the other chamber is aligned with .a pocket of the rotary magazine in discharge relation thereto,

e. the intermediate receptacle further comprising means for compressing together a group of cigarettes in a chamber of the intermediate receptacle during the movement of such chamber from a position of alignment with the discharge end of one of the feed hoppers to a position of alignment with a rotary magazine pocket, said compressing means comprising two generally parallel members each having a pair of adjacent, chamber defining indentations on the facing sides of such members, and parallel linkage means pivotally mounted between and interconnecting the members, whereby the relative movement of the members in a first direction serves to contract the chambers defined therebetween in both height and width while such relative movement in a second, opposite direction serves to open the chambers,

a pair of slide ejection members alternately reciprocable in phase opposition for pushing a group of a fixed number of cigarettes from the discharge end of a feed hopper into an aligned chamber of the intermediate receptacle,

g. the reciprocating motion of the intermediate receptacle being in a direction perpendicular to that of the slide ejection members, and

h. a push rod positioned between the slide ejection members and reciprocable in parallel synchronism therewith at twice the cycle rate thereof for pushing a group of cigarettes from one of the chambers of the intermediate receptacle into an aligned pocket of the rotary magazine,

. whereby while a group of cigarettes is being transferred from one of the feed hoppers to one of the intermediate receptacle chambers another group of cigarettes previously transferred from the other feed hopper to the other intermediate receptacle chamber is being loaded, by the push rod, into a pocket of the rotary magazine.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a. a plurality of parallel separating walls disposed in each feed hopper adjacent the discharge ends thereof for channeling the cigarettes into single columns, and

b. a pair of converging mounts individually disposed between the discharge ends and the intermediate receptacle to bring the cigarettes together as they are pushed through the mouths to compensate for the column separation provided by the walls.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the cigarettes are horizontally oriented in the feed hopper col umns, are pushed horizontally from one end by the slide ejection members into the intermediate receptacle chambers, and are further pushed horizontally from the same end by the push rod into the rotary magazine pockets.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each slide ejection member comprises a plurality of parallel fingers spaced to ride between the separating walls during the reciprocation of the slide ejection members.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of single armed guide members (36, 37, 38) pivotally coupled to the two generally parallel members for controlling the movement thereof to contract and open the chambers.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the two generally parallel members each have inclined edges (35) and projections (33, 34) defining the chamber end walls adjacent each chamber defining indentation, the projections of each generally parallel member mating with the inclined edges of the other generally parallel member.

7. An apparatus for supplying groups of cigarettes to a cigarette packing machine, comprising:

a. a pair of adjacent cigarette feed hoppers having spaced discharge ends,

b. an intermediate receptacle having two adjacent chambers open at both ends in an axial direction and having displaceable end walls, said receptacle being reciprocable back and forth across the discharge ends of the feed hoppers,

c. a rotary magazine positioned adjacent the intermediate receptacle and having a plurality of pockets around the periphery thereof open in an axial direction,

d. the relative positioning between the discharge ends of the feed hoppers, the intermediate receptacle and the rotary magazine being such that at each end of the reciprocating travel of the intermediate receptacle one of its chambers is aligned with the discharge end of a feed hopper in receiving relation thereto while the other chamber is aligned with a pocket of the rotary magazine in discharge relation thereto,

e. the intermediate receptacle further comprising means for compressing together a group of cigarettes in a chamber of the intermediate receptacle during the movement of such chamber from a position of alignment with the discharge end of one of the feed hoppers to a position 'of alignment with a rotary magazine pocket,

f. stop members coooperable with the chamber end walls, during the reciprocating movement of the intermediate receptacle, to thereby implement the compression function,

g. a pair of slide ejection members alternately reciprocable in phase opposition for pushing a group of a fixed number of cigarettes from the discharge end of a feed hopper into an aligned chamber of the intermediate receptacle,

h. the reciprocating motion of the intermediate receptacle being in a direction perpendicular to that of the slide ejection members, and

. a push rod positioned between the slide ejection members and reciprocable in parallel synchronism therewith at twice the cycle rate thereof for pushing a group of cigarettes from one of the chambers of the intermediate receptacle into an aligned pocket of the rotary magazine,

j. whereby while a group of cigarettes is being transferred from one of the feed hoppers to one of the intermediate receptacle chambers another group of cigarettes previously transferred from the other feed hopper to the other intermediate receptacle chamber is being loaded, by the push rod, into a pocket of the rotary magazine. l l= =l= 

1. An apparatus for supplying groups of cigarettes to a cigarette packing machine, comprising: a. a pair of adjacent cigarette feed hoppers having spaced discharge ends, b. an intermediate receptacle having two adjacent chambers open at both ends in an axial direction, said receptacle being reciprocable back and forth across the discharge ends of the feed hoppers, c. a rotary magazine positioned adjacent the intermediate receptacle and having a plurality of pockets around the periphery thereof open in an axial direction, d. the relative positioning between the discharge ends of the feed hoppers, the intermediate receptacle and the rotary magazine being such that at each end of the reciprocating travel of the intermediate receptacle one of its chambers is aligned with the discharge end of a feed hopper in receiving relation thereto while the other chamber is aligned with a pocket of the rotary magazine in discharge relation thereto, e. the intermediate receptacle further comprising means for compressing together a group of cigarettes in a chamber of the intermediate receptacle during the movement of such chamber from a position of alignment with the discharge end of one of the feed hoppers to a position of alignment with a rotary magazine pocket, said compressing means comprising two generally parallel members each having a pair of adjacent, chamber defining indentations on the facing sides of such members, and parallel linkage means pivotally mounted between and interconnecting the members, whereby the relative movement of the members in a first direction serves to contract the chambers defined therebetween in both height and width while such relative movement in a second, opposite direction serves to open the chambers, f. a pair of slide ejection members alternately reciprocable in phase opposition for pushing a group of a fixed number of cigarettes from the discharge end of a feed hopper into an aligned chamber of the intermediate receptacle, g. the reciprocating motion of the intermediate receptacle being in a direction perpendicular to that of the slide ejection members, and h. a push rod positioned between the slide ejection members and reciprocable in parallel synchronism therewith at twice the cycle rate thereof for pushing a group of cigarettes from one of the chambers of the intermediate receptacle into an aligned pocket of the rotary magazine, i. whereby while a group of cigarettes is being transferred from one of the feed hoppers to one of the intermediate receptacle chambers another group of cigarettes previously transferred from the other feed hopper to the other intermediate receptacle chamber is being loaded, by the push rod, into a pocket of the rotary magazine.
 2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a. a plurality of parallel separating walls disposed in each feed hopper adjacent the discharge ends thereof for channeling the cigarettes into single columns, and b. a pair of converging mounts individually disposed between the discharge ends and the intermediate receptacle to bring the cigarettes together as they are pushed through the mouths to compensate for the column separation provided by the walls.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the cigarettes are horizontally oriented in the feed hopper columns, are pushed horizontally from one end by the slide ejection members into the intermediate receptacle chambers, and are further pushed horizontally from the same end by the push rod into the rotary magazine pockets.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein each slide ejection member comprises a plurality of parallel fingers spaced to ride between the separating walls during the reciprocation of the slide ejection members.
 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of single armed guide members (36, 37, 38) pivotally coupled to the two generally parallel members for controlling the moveMent thereof to contract and open the chambers.
 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the two generally parallel members each have inclined edges (35) and projections (33, 34) defining the chamber end walls adjacent each chamber defining indentation, the projections of each generally parallel member mating with the inclined edges of the other generally parallel member.
 7. An apparatus for supplying groups of cigarettes to a cigarette packing machine, comprising: a. a pair of adjacent cigarette feed hoppers having spaced discharge ends, b. an intermediate receptacle having two adjacent chambers open at both ends in an axial direction and having displaceable end walls, said receptacle being reciprocable back and forth across the discharge ends of the feed hoppers, c. a rotary magazine positioned adjacent the intermediate receptacle and having a plurality of pockets around the periphery thereof open in an axial direction, d. the relative positioning between the discharge ends of the feed hoppers, the intermediate receptacle and the rotary magazine being such that at each end of the reciprocating travel of the intermediate receptacle one of its chambers is aligned with the discharge end of a feed hopper in receiving relation thereto while the other chamber is aligned with a pocket of the rotary magazine in discharge relation thereto, e. the intermediate receptacle further comprising means for compressing together a group of cigarettes in a chamber of the intermediate receptacle during the movement of such chamber from a position of alignment with the discharge end of one of the feed hoppers to a position of alignment with a rotary magazine pocket, f. stop members coooperable with the chamber end walls, during the reciprocating movement of the intermediate receptacle, to thereby implement the compression function, g. a pair of slide ejection members alternately reciprocable in phase opposition for pushing a group of a fixed number of cigarettes from the discharge end of a feed hopper into an aligned chamber of the intermediate receptacle, h. the reciprocating motion of the intermediate receptacle being in a direction perpendicular to that of the slide ejection members, and i. a push rod positioned between the slide ejection members and reciprocable in parallel synchronism therewith at twice the cycle rate thereof for pushing a group of cigarettes from one of the chambers of the intermediate receptacle into an aligned pocket of the rotary magazine, j. whereby while a group of cigarettes is being transferred from one of the feed hoppers to one of the intermediate receptacle chambers another group of cigarettes previously transferred from the other feed hopper to the other intermediate receptacle chamber is being loaded, by the push rod, into a pocket of the rotary magazine. 